The present invention generally relates to a headlight for vehicles.
More particularly, it relates to a headlight for vehicles, with a headlight housing accommodating a gas discharge lamp and provided with an electrical supply for the gas discharge lamp.
Headlights of the above mentioned general type are known in the art. One of such headlights is disclosed for example in the German patent document DE 43 15 394 A1. This headlight has a light source formed as a gas discharge lamp, and also is provided with a headlight housing and electrical supply unit for the gas discharge lamp arranged in the headlight housing. The electrical supply unit has an ignition device and a control device. The control device is located substantially outside the headlight housing and has a housing extending through an opening of the headlight housing. The ignition device is arranged inside the headlight housing and connected by a conductor with the control device as well as with the gas discharge lamp. The control device during the operation of the gas discharge lamp is heated. A cooling of the control device is possible because of its arrangement outside of the headlight housing.
The disadvantage of this construction is that the control device requires a separate, closed and sealed housing, which increases the mounting space and the weight of the headlight.